Gemotions

The lawyer had called, a polite inquiry about a sealed letter left in his father's will. Isabella had never met the man who'd written it. Her father had always been tight-lipped about his past, particularly about the year he spent away from his family. Now, she held a creamy envelope, its edges softened by time, bearing an unfamiliar name. Her hands felt clumsy, as if they didn't belong to her.

She retreated to the kitchen, the sunlight streaming through the window making the dust motes dance. She slowly tore open the envelope. The letter, penned in a delicate hand, spoke of a woman, a betrayal, and a secret that had haunted her father's life. Isabella gasped. Her eyes blurred. She dropped the letter and pressed her palms against the cool surface of the kitchen counter. Everything in the room seemed to spin.